Ljóstillífu

Ljóstillífu, often translated as photosynthesis, is the vital process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the help of chlorophyll pigment. This process is fundamental to life on Earth, as it forms the base of most food chains and is responsible for producing the oxygen in our atmosphere.

During photosynthesis, organisms take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through tiny pores called stomata, usually located on the leaves. Water is absorbed from the soil through the roots and transported to the leaves. Inside specialized organelles called chloroplasts, the green pigment chlorophyll captures light energy from the sun. This captured energy is then used to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose, a type of sugar that serves as the organism's food. As a byproduct of this chemical reaction, oxygen is released back into the atmosphere.

The overall chemical equation for photosynthesis is often summarized as: 6CO2 + 6H2O + Light Energy → C6H12O6 + 6O2. This process can be broadly divided into two stages: the light-dependent reactions, where light energy is converted into chemical energy in the form of ATP and NADPH, and the light-independent reactions (also known as the Calvin cycle), where this chemical energy is used to fix carbon dioxide into glucose. Photosynthesis is crucial not only for the survival of plants but also for the respiration of animals and the maintenance of atmospheric oxygen levels.